What a gift to our world is Christianity, if men understood it rightly, and properly valued it. It would be for the happiness and peace of nations as such; for the well-being of all classes of mankind; of kings, and rulers, and subjects alike, to be under the rule of God, and the influence of the gospel, and the Church of Christ. Whence come wars and fightings without, and all their frightful sorrows? Whence come revolutions and riots within a land, with all their various and manifold evils, but from ignorance, or at least as often, from disregard of Christian truth. If men rendered to God the things that are God's, loving service and obedience to His commandments, they would not fail, so often as they do, to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, loyal submission to the powers that be (and there is no power but of God), and to laws and authorities. Saint Paul writes, Render to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Fear God, honour the king, are put in close connection by Saint Peter. And it will be the wisdom as it is the duty of every true Catholic, to act daily on the admonition of Saint Paul, I desire first of all that supplications, prayers, and intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made by men for kings and all in high stations, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all piety. At this time there is much cause for our solemn attention to these admonitions.
- text taken from Daily Bread - Bring a Few Morning Meditations for the Use of Catholic Christians by Father Richard Waldo Sibthorp